Do you find yourself spending a lot of time (and money) on keeping your looking new or better than new? Do you find yourself reaching for a Cali duster or detail spray when there's a light dust film on your [insert affectionate term or name for your car]? Do you look for new products that will enhance the look of your Scion?

If you answered yes then you are probably like me. While I have always tried to take care of my cars, it was only after getting my BSP tC that I have taken it to the next level (actually the next, next level :roll: ). I thought it might be interesting and helpful to others to share what we do/use to care for our cars.

I have tried the following:

1. Wash and clay bar
2. Polish (to remove swirl marks) using 3M rubbing compound and Meguiars DACP.
3. Fine polish using 3M glaze.
4. Apply Klasse AIO and SG as a protectant.
5. Top with Pinnacle Souveran wax.
6. 303 protectant on interior dash, etc.

Sorry for the long post but I blame it on my addiction. :wink: Anyone else?

I'm afraid to find out how obsessive I'll be about keeping my tC clean. I wash and vacuum my 12 year old car about every week, if not more. In between I shake out the floormats and might give the car a quick rinse with the hose.

I too spend alot of time keeping my ride clean, I have gotten in more fights with my girlfriends over cars and lost several because of it.

So yeah I am a "car detailer" and I last dusted my car this morning, I am working on a 10 step program to help me get off this addiction.

It has been very hard but I will some day let the watermarks stay on, the smudges go untouched :cry: :cry: someday :cry: :cry:

WHEN I AM DEAD :!: :!: :!: :twisted:

my car is pretty durty right now, by all means guys dont hesitate from detailing my car. I will not step in between a guy and his addiction.

i wash my car every weekend but this past weekend i got lazy. what can i say. :?

edit: Second coolest avatar here. :D
http://www.scionlife.com/forums/images/avatars/168037385414f30826b07d.jpg

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Sorry for the long post but I blame it on my addiction. :wink: Anyone else?

Yep, I have the same problem as you do. My friends laugh at me because I dust my car with the California Duster every morning (there's always a layer of dust on it because there is a lot of construction near my work). Maybe we need to find a Car Cleaners Anonymous meeting to attend ;-). -Jayme

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Sorry for the long post but I blame it on my addiction. :wink: Anyone else?

Yep, I have the same problem as you do. My friends laugh at me because I dust my car with the California Duster every morning (there's always a layer of dust on it because there is a lot of construction near my work). Maybe we need to find a Car Cleaners Anonymous meeting to attend ;-). -Jayme

Yeah it is the BCP can't get enough of it...

edit: Second coolest avatar here. :D
http://www.scionlife.com/forums/images/avatars/168037385414f30826b07d.jpg

Yeah the "Deadhead" rules!!! I am trying to get some "SE Deadhead" Gel stickers made...

Toy xbox-
I guess some girls just don't understand huh? But then again, there's GeminiTwin who not only understands but shares in the addiction. Oh yeah and GeminiTwin- Where did you get your overlays? Is there somewhere that sells them online?

So c'mon guys, doesn't anyone else wanna come out of the closet?

I go crazy with Zaino Bros..

I use Zaino Z-6 Gloss Enhancer (http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=Z-6)everyday... Wash every Sunday with Z-7 Show Car Wash (http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=Z-7), and put on 3 coats of Z2 every Sunday as well (already have enough Z-5 on there... I have NO swirl marks whatsoever on my Black Box)

Vacuum everything a couple times a week with my little dirt devil hand vac, and use Z-10 Leather Conditioner (http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=Z-10)on my Dash and other Vinyl

Also Rain-X Anti-Fog on the interior windows

I should try Zaino. I currently use Meguiars NXT tech wax. I admit it -- I take off my shoes when I get inside to vaccuum it.

... maybe you guys could give me advice on what other things I could try to keep the shine. I've thought about trying the 5StarShine system... or the Dupont Teflon spray wax. There's just too much stuff to think about getting for my car... :?

I am the one who does all the washing & polishing (Zaino & S100) on our XB--my husband just gets to drive the shiny car when I am done ;).

Zaino is great ! It amuses me how fruity everything in the line smells--I just imagine some big burly guy using this stuff on his super expensive sports car and ending up smelling like he just got out of a bubble bath.

And, I just bought the mini California Duster this week for the interior too.

Jennifer

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For long lasting protection and shine you should get some type of acrylic or polymer protectant like Zaino or Klasse. Maybe Zaino users could correct me but I've heard that waxes don't really bond with Zaino and because I wanted to top the protectant with wax, I opted for the Klasse twins. Just make sure that your paint is free of scratches/swirl marks as these products tend to magnify them.

bunnymama-

Are you kidding? You do all the detailing? You rock! :D

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Maybe Zaino users could correct me but I've heard that waxes don't really bond with Zaino and because I wanted to top the protectant with wax, I


I figure the Zaino is bonded to the paint and the wax kind of just sits on the top of the Zaino. The wax I use is S100 Carnuba from the Harley dealership--it seems to give a nice rich shine, but I don't expect it to last more than a few weeks before it wears off anyway. When it's time to re-Zaino, I use the blue Dawn to wash off whatever wax is left and then do the whole darn process over again!

I would never let my husband do the Zaino--he wouldn't read the directions and that stuff is too expensive to waste! :roll:

Jennifer

Anyone here ever use Zoop seal? If so is it worth the time and cost?

http://www.zoops.com/images/zoopseal_productline.jpg

uncompiled-

Maybe Zaino users could correct me but I've heard that waxes don't really bond with Zaino and because I wanted to top the protectant with wax, I


I figure the Zaino is bonded to the paint and the wax kind of just sits on the top of the Zaino. The wax I use is S100 Carnuba from the Harley dealership--it seems to give a nice rich shine, but I don't expect it to last more than a few weeks before it wears off anyway. When it's time to re-Zaino, I use the blue Dawn to wash off whatever wax is left and then do the whole darn process over again!

I would never let my husband do the Zaino--he wouldn't read the directions and that stuff is too expensive to waste! :roll:

Jennifer

Does the S100 give a better shine than Zaino itself? I got a ____load of Z-2 on my box, and it shines like crazy.... especially at night

But I've heard of people using S100 on top of it... you got any pics?

I picked up my car two days ago--it was already dusty by the time I picked it up, and I think it had been buffed that day. Interestingly, the metal flake really does hide a lot of the dust on the black, thankfully, because you really barely see it unless you're being completely neurotic about it like I am or if you touch it.

Today, I went home during my lunch hour to take it to get it washed, if you can believe that. The horrible thing is, I don't live somewhere that I can really wash it or do anything myself--I feel like a complete idiot standing outside dusting my car on the street--it's just not something I've ever seen anyone do in my neighborhood. I think people mostly just use car washes or detailing services--I'll probably do both, but I can't do that every single day, and I'm totally obsessing about keeping the car clean. This is going to be a problem, because right now, I'm thinking how much I really want to go home and deal with the streaks left by what was supposed to be the best hand wash in the city. I need something else to obsess about, or this car shall be my undoing.

I admit it -- I take off my shoes when I get inside to vaccuum it.

:lol: Thought I was the only one!!

I actually bought floormats to protect my floormats!!... Then bought rubber mats to protect those!

http://www.autopia.org/index.php is a good place to learn. Yeah I'm addicted just like ya'll. I"ve been like that for years now.

Used to do it for a living. After that, i didn't care what my cars looked like. I once went 14 months without washing my car... Then I got the Box...

The neighbors joke about how often I wash the Box.
I've got floormat floormats :?
I just bought a big makeup brush at a beauty supply store for dusting the dash and console - WORKS AWESOME, btw. I highly recommend it. This baby will not leave any scratches, those scary stiff-___ "detailing" brushes I see in the auto section make me cringe...

Here's Proof of addiction:
Several weeks ago, I hadn't been feeling very well, but I went to the carwash latenight anyway. Just as I'm finishing the wash, the cops roll up near the driveway and start messing with this guy on a bike. I drive out and past them and right about then, I realize I'm going to throw up. OK, it's almost midnight on a Friday - they're gonna think I'm drunk! i fight it until i can get out of their sight and then just lost it. I get home and was still sick and wanted to curl up in a ball, but the Box was still wet. So I dutifully dried it off stopping twice to get sick and then return to finish. Now that's a sickness, even despite my sickness...